Book Review | The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordon

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #2) by Rick Riordon
Published by Disney Hyperion on January 1, 2006
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Adventure
Format: Paperback
Source: Giveaway
Goodreads:★★★★

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

REVIEW

After completing The Lightning Thief, I decided to continue on with the Percy Jackson series right away and picked up The Sea of Monsters. If you've read my review of The Lightning Thief (LINK), you'll know that my main issue with the book was how closely it paralleled my beloved Harry Potter. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the characters and the adventure, so I hoped the series would adopt more of its own voice as the story continued.

Unfortunately, The Sea of Monsters started off on the wrong foot. There was a syntax error in the first few pages, and a scene at the beginning that closely mirrored the Knight Bus in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I couldn't believe the similarities, but kept powering through, and I'm so glad I did! 

The Sea of Monsters introduces readers to a new character named Tyson, who is a young cyclops. In Percy's world, cyclopes are very dangerous and thus mistreated by half bloods. I absolutely loved the role Tyson plays in the story, and am impressed with Rick Riordon's decision to include him. Percy's journey with Tyson is so touching. It teachers readers about acceptance, and how someone who is a bit different is not necessarily bad. I think it's amazing that children who read this book will get to see how important it is to be kind and understanding of everyone. 

Moreover, The Sea of Monsters is a fast-paced and exciting read. This second book jumps right into the action from the start, and readers are along for the ride without hesitation. While I do wish there was a bit more set-up at the beginning, once I adjusted to the new storyline I was fully invested. Percy is such a great narrator, and his voice makes the book so much fun to read. 

Finally, I loved the cliffhanger at the end of The Sea of Monsters. It was a bit predictable, but it was still exciting, and made me want to pick up the next book in the series right away. I was surprised at how short The Sea of Monsters was, but I enjoyed it a great deal, and it was a definite improvement over the first book in the series. I'm excited to continue on and see where Percy's adventures take him and his friends next! 

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website's affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordon

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) by Rick Riordan
Published by Disney Hyperion on July 1, 2005
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Adventure
Pages: 375
Format: Paperback
Source: Giveaway
Goodreads: ★★★

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

REVIEW

I was unfamiliar with Percy Jackson until last year, and was excited when I won a full set of the series in a giveaway. I don't often read middle grade unless it is a reread, but I was interested to give this a try because it has such a huge fanbase. After reading the first book, I can definitely understand why this series is so loved, but I did have some issues with it. 

First and foremost, I was beyond annoyed with the Harry Potter parallels in this story. Our protagonist Percy is a 12-year-old boy who has experienced strange occurrences throughout his childhood that he cannot explain. As it turns out, he's a half-blood, which means he is the son of a human and a Greek god. Percy goes to Camp Half Blood in Long Island, New York (aka Hogwarts), where he learns more about his special powers and is trained to kill monsters. 

Percy becomes part of a trio that goes out on an epic quest in order to prevent a war between the gods of Olympus. He is joined by Annabeth, a very bright young girl, and Grover, a satyr who is a bit of a doofus, but a great friend to Percy. Oh, and did I mention there is a security guard at Camp Half Blood named Argus? I mean, come on, this is truly inspired by Harry Potter, and with every detail that paralleled Harry's story I wanted to throw the book across the room. I'm sure author Rick Riordon was influenced by Rowling's work, but whether he intended the similarities or not, I couldn't believe how replete they were throughout The Lightening Thief. 

Moreover, another huge drawback in the story for me was the predictability. I understand this is a middle grade novel that I am reading as an adult, but I was easily able to figure out most of the action by the plethora of hints Riordon drops throughout the novel. With that being said, I was quite frustrated with the ending of the book because it did not flow logically from the story's set-up. Instead, it felt like Riordon wanted to shock the readers, and he did so with an unexpected twist that was a bit disjointed. That definitely took away some credibility from the book. 

Putting those issues aside, however, I really did enjoy The Lightning Thief. The writing style was very well done, and I really liked Percy as a first-person narrator. Percy was a very relatable character, as he was quite imperfect but still incredible at the same time. If I was reading this as a middle schooler, I'd definitely want to be friends with Percy and his gang. 

In addition, I loved the road-trip adventure that Percy goes on in this book, and how he needs to fight a variety of monsters along the way. It was really fun how Riordon included Greek mythology in an American setting, and adapted the gods and monsters for the 21st Century. While it took me about 130 pages to really become invested in the world, once I was hooked I couldn't put the book down and finished the remainder in one day. I'm really looking forward to continuing on in the series and seeing where Percy ends up next! 

Thus, if you are looking for a fun, middle grade fantasy, I think Percy Jackson is a great place to start. I know that kids will really enjoy it, but adults who grew up with Harry Potter as I did will need to read this with a grain of salt. I'm hopeful that as the series continues the books will divulge from Harry Potter and take on its own unique identity. 

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

When you buy a book though the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website's affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Release Announcement | Omega City by Diana Peterfreund

  

Coming this April 28th, Diana’s first book for readers eight and up is a thrilling adventure story, perfect for people who like their books with a side of rocketships and hidden treasure. Find out what secrets are hidden beneath the Maryland countryside in...

Omega City

Gillian Seagret doesn’t listen to people who say her father’s a crackpot. His conspiracy theories about the lost technology of Cold War-era rocket scientist Dr. Aloysius Underberg may have cost him his job and forced the family to move to a cottage in the sticks, but Gillian knows he’s right, and plans to prove it. When she discovers a missing page from Dr. Unerberg’s diary in her father’s mess of an office, she thinks she’s found a big piece of the puzzle–a space-themed riddle promising to lead to Dr. Underberg’s greatest invention. Enlisting the help of her skeptical younger brother, Eric, her best friend, Savannah, and Howard, their NASA-obsessed schoolmate, Gillian sets off into the ruins of a vast doomsday bunker, deep within the earth. But they aren’t alone inside its dark and flooded halls. Now Gillian and her friends must race to explore OMEGA CITY and find the answers they need. For while Gillian wants to save her dad’s reputation by bringing Dr. Underberg’s secrets to light, there are others who will stop at nothing to make sure they stay buried...forever.

 

GoodReads | IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple iBooks

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

“With seamless writing, a thrilling plot, lots of engaging science puzzles, and remarkable characterization, Peterfreund's exciting tale keeps the adventure solidly in the foreground. Young readers looking for a page turning quest should get into this planned series on the ground floor." — Booklist *Starred* Review 

"Peterfreund's focus on character development is complemented by the equal attention she gives to the vast underground city itself. Gillian’s instincts to protect her friends and clear her historian father’s tarnished name are admirable, but Peterfreund gives every character the opportunity to grow, revealing themselves for who they really are."— Publishers Weekly

“With nonstop action, sly humor, and nothing short of the end of the world at stake, Omega City is the alpha book in a new series that mashes up mystery, scifi, and action/adventure into a thrilling novel you’ll want to devour in one sitting. I did, and I can’t wait to read what comes next!” — Peter Lerangis, New York Times Bestselling author of the Seven Wonders series

“Peterfreund’s boundless imagination takes on a new and exciting adventure!” – Jessica Day George, New York Times Bestselling author of Tuesdays at the Castle”

“Diana Peterfreund takes us to an underground city that’s utterly mind-blowing, yet disturbingly possible. A knockout of a story that will have readers cheering straight through to the final, shocking, twist.” — #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman

   

Diana Peterfreund has published ten novels for adults, teens, and kids, including the four-book Secret Society Girl series (Bantam Dell), the “killer unicorn novels” Rampantand Ascendant (Harper Teen), For Darkness Shows the Stars (a post-apocalyptic retelling of Jane Austen’sPersuasion), and Across a Star-Swept Sea (inspired by the classic series The Scarlet Pimpernel). Her newest novel, OMEGA CITY, is a contemporary adventure novel for younger readers set in a secret bunker city somewhere under modern Maryland. Her works have been named to the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age list, the Capitol Choices (metro DC-area) reading list, and the Texas Lonestar List, as well as having been named to Amazon’s Best Books of the Year. In addition, she’s written several critically acclaimed short stories and a variety of non-fiction essays about popular children’s literature. Diana lives outside Washington D.C., with her family.

Website Facebook Twitter

This is a post written by Mark My Words Book Publicity. They reached out to me and asked if I wanted to post about Omega City's release on my blog. I am in no way affiliated with this book, author, or publicity company. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

   

Book Review | We Are Pirates by Daniel Handler

We Are Pirates by Daniel Handler

Published by Bloomsbury USA on February 3, 2015

Genres: Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Adventure 

Pages: 289

Format: eARC

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★

Mega-bestselling author Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) gives us his long-awaited and most ambitious novel yet: a dark, rollicking, stunningly entertaining human comedy.

A boat has gone missing. Goods have been stolen. There is blood in the water. It is the twenty-first century and a crew of pirates is terrorizing the San Francisco Bay.

Phil is a husband, a father, a struggling radio producer, and the owner of a large condo with a view of the water. But he’d like to be a rebel and a fortune hunter.

Gwen is his daughter. She’s fourteen. She’s a student, a swimmer, and a best friend. But she’d like to be an adventurer and an outlaw.

Phil teams up with his young, attractive assistant. They head for the open road, attending a conference to seal a deal.

Gwen teams up with a new, fierce friend and some restless souls. They head for the open sea, stealing a boat to hunt for treasure.

We Are Pirates is a novel about our desperate searches for happiness and freedom, about our wild journeys beyond the boundaries of our ordinary lives.

Also, it’s about a teenage girl who pulls together a ragtag crew to commit mayhem in the San Francisco Bay, while her hapless father tries to get her home.

REVIEW

Sometimes I finish a book and I have no idea how to rate it. That was the case with We Are Pirates, and it took me hours of thinking upon completion of the book to be able to formulate my thoughts into words and into a star rating. Let me begin by saying this is one of the most disturbing books I've ever read, and it's classified as adult for that reason. There is violence, crude language, and some sexual content. I definitely recommend this book for mature readers only. 

We Are Pirates is a novel that I picked up purely because Daniel Handler's name was written on the cover. I've never read anything by him before, so I wanted to give his work a try. I expected a fun fantasy story about pirates, and I could not have been more wrong. We Are Pirates is the ultimate family drama. Readers follow the Needle family as an unnamed narrator is relating the story from some point in the future. The book is divided to follow dad Phil, a radio producer in a struggling marriage, as he travels to a conference with his young assistant, and his fourteen-year-old daughter Gwen in separate yet intertwining points-of-view. 

When the story begins, Gwen attempts to steal from the local drugstore, and is sentenced to one month of volunteering at a nearby nursing home. She's partnered up with Errol, a senile old man who asks Gwen to read to him from the pirate books he owns. Soon Gwen becomes enamored with the life of pirates, and decides to put together her own pirate gang and leave her family behind forever. 

We Are Pirates is separated into two parts of equal size. The first part was a bit slow-going for me, as it took me a while to get used to Handler's writing style. It reminded me of JK Rowling's voice in The Casual Vacancy, but of course the stories are quite different. Despite my reluctance at the beginning of the novel, once part two of the story began, I could not put the book down, and flew through it until the end. I will admit, however, I had to take short breaks to process the action. We Are Pirates is very heavy in substance. 

While labeled as a dark comedy, I truly saw nothing funny in We Are Pirates. I didn't laugh while reading, but instead felt shocked and sad, and I cringed a lot. I had to keep reminding myself that this book is a work of fiction because Handler does an amazing job of making the story feel real. It's an unbelievable tale, and I honestly cannot find the purpose in it besides making a comment on humanity. I questioned Handler's sanity at many points while reading We Are Pirates. Who, in his right mind, could even concoct such a tale?!

I know this review is vague and you're probably curious as to why I'm so disturbed after reading We Are Pirates. The only way to cure this is to pick up the novel and read it yourself. If you're even remotely interested in it, I recommend this read with the disclaimer that the contents may shock you. I ended up rating this book a four out of five stars as the beginning of the book was difficult to get into, but I truly did love the writing style. Handler's prose is amazingly done,  and I especially enjoyed the descriptive language and how the story is weaved together. We Are Pirates is a book that is going to stay with me for a very long time. 

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

When you purchase a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website's affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | Time of Attack by Marc Cameron

Have you ever felt really accomplished upon finishing a book? That's how I feel about Time of Attack by Marc Cameron! I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway back in January, and began reading it on March 30th. Well, it took me just over a month, but I finally finished it, and I can't wait to share my thoughts on the story with all of you.

Time of Attack is a part of the Jericho Quinn series by Cameron, but can be read as a stand-alone novel. This book has two parallel story lines, the first centering on Special Agent Quinn. While attending a friend's wedding, his ex-wife is shot by a sniper who was aiming for his young daughter. Quinn then goes on a hunt to track down the mysterious woman who left his ex-wife without a leg. Along the way he encounters many interesting characters, and ends up traveling to Japan in an effort to find the shooter.

While Quinn finds himself in all sorts of crazy situations, readers are also following another storyline. A manmade disease is suddenly being given to American soldiers before they return home from Afghanistan. Soon dozens are infected, and doctors have no idea how to stop the illness from spreading, nor do they know how to cure it.

As you can imagine, these two plots are action-packed. A good way to describe Time of Attack is a James Bond book filled with extra adventure and mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, though I did find it a bit slow going for me despite all the fast-paced scenes. The main reason I didn't like this reading experience was because of the book itself. It is very narrow and tall, but very wide. It was uncomfortable to hold the book. While this did not detract from the actual story at all, it definitely made me want to put it down more often that I would have in a better binding.

I'm also not a huge fan of violence, so be aware that if you read this book you'll be dealing with more mature themes. This genre is not my usual cup of tea, so it was great to escape from my norm and pick up something new, but I wouldn't want to read this type of book all the time.

My favorite aspect of Time of Attack was the character development. There are a lot of different characters in this book, but I didn't lose track of them due to Cameron's crafty writing. He does a great job at describing the characters just enough so you remember who they are, and builds strong background stories for those in the spotlight.

Overall, Time of Attack is a great read if you're looking for an action-packed thrill ride. I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, but would recommend the eBook version on Amazon HERE unless you don't mind a bulky book. I don't think I'll be rereading this one, but I will keep an eye out for more Jericho Quinn novels in the future, especially since this one had a bit of a cliffhanger ending! If you've read any of Marc Cameron's books, let me know what you thought in the comments!

I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

My Return to the City!

I have exciting news! I will be attending law school beginning this coming August, and thus moving back to New York City! I am absolutely overjoyed to be returning to Manhattan, especially since I will be living downtown and won't have to commute to and from the Bronx. But have no fear, Full Moon, I will definitely be returning to the old neighborhood for some pizza! 

Law school, of course, will not permit me to see Broadway shows every weekend, but I am still looking forward to finding great little restaurants, going shopping (when I have the money), and exploring the best city in the world! I hope you will all continue to read my blog as I depart for this next adventure in NYC.

Stay tuned for more updates regarding my move to NYC!